Buland Al-Haidari

Buland Al-Haidari (1926–1996) — born to a prominent Kurdish family in northern Iraq — grew up in the streets of Baghdad — reprieved minutes before a death sentence was to be carried out — lived and died in exile… a fascinating story, all the more so because of his importance as a leading modernizer of the Arabic literary tradition. Along with a small group of Iraqi poets, he began writing in free verse and treating personal and everyday life as worthy of a poet’s attention. This is the brilliance of Al-Hairdari’s poetry. He expresses the effect of political violence and the sorrow of living in exile with such intimacy, using the mundane details of life.

Age of the Rubber Seals

Oh Age of ours(Age of rubber seals,of whips rasping on our skins,of chains without crime) Return to us our old eyesour grim, black doors opento night and gale. Return to us our shadowsshaken by trembling candlelightin the dark night. Return to usour children bare in winter's anger;their little hands craving to tear down the sky.O Age of ours(Age of rubber seals,of chains without crime,of rasping whips) Return to us our old eyesso we can see the victory that loomsin defeat. Erect for usfrom ...